John O’Donohue reminds us that beauty is always around us.  This surrounding is the lesson I take away from his book Beauty: The Invisible Embrace.   The book finishes with:

A Beauty Blessing

“As stillness in stone to silence is wed
May your heart be somewhere a God might dwell.

As a river flows in an ideal sequence
May your soul discover time is presence.

As the moon absolves the dark of distance
May thought-light console your mind with brightness.

As the breath of light awakens colour
May the dawn anoint your eyes with wonder.

As spring rain softens the earth with surprise
May your winter places be kissed by light.

As the ocean dreams to the joy of dance
May the grace of change bring you elegance.

As clay anchors a tree in light and wind
May your outer life grow from peace within.

As twilight fills night with bright horizons
May beauty await you at home beyond.” – p 249

Each couplet makes me stop and think.  Each couplet conjures a different image.

I look to my right and “time is presence” comes alive.

Creative Grand-parenting

Grandma is encouraging our granddaughter with her reading homework.  The medium for today’s homework is our window to the world.  What a great suggestion from her teacher to do the homework in some other medium than an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper.  Of course her mom admonishes that the window is OK, but the walls are not OK for homework.

What a gift to have the time AND take the time to “discover time is presence.”

As I re-read the “Beauty Blessing”, an image jumps to mind as I absorb “as clay anchors a tree in light and wind”.

A tree anchored

Each time I hike in Fort Ward, this tree symbolizes the preciousness of clinging to life.  I have to stop and becalm myself.

Thank you, Father O’Donohue.  “May Beauty await you at home beyond.”